Search - August Burns Red :: Messengers

More than satisfying

Josh Cunningham | they should name this place after me | 06/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"august burns red releases their sophmore effort "messengers" and it does not dissapoint. A couple of things changed since their last release in this album:

-New Vocalist

-New Bass Player

-ABR adds more melody



Its safe to say that this album is more melodic then "thrill seeker" but it is also way more metal. don't worry, these guys don't start singing at any point, its still the same brutal ABR that you know from their previous work. they still throw breakdowns in at random places and they still appear several times in each songs. The drummer is still amazingly good and amazingly fast.



here is a run down of the album:



1. Truth of a Liar - 9/10

Great opener. Great lyrics, the guitar work is melodic and yet brutal at the same time during the pause for the solo after the ending breakdown



2. Up against the Ropes 10/10

Sick. This song is like 6 songs all rolled into one. There is a breakdown almost every 30-45 seconds. I'm not joking. Brutal song.



3. Back Burner - 9/10

Brutal, dark song. The new vocalist, Jake, growls deeply several times during the song, a different but amazing additon to the bands sound. A very cool sounding breakdown at the end.



4. The Blinding Light - 9/10

A good tight song with an awesome ending breakdown. Good guitar work. A song which proves they went more "metal" with this album than the previous one. Nice breakdown at the end.



5. Composure 10/10

Great stuff here. Sounds like "thrill seeker". Drum work is awesome, going from breakdown to fast pounding. Nice Guitar work at the end.



6. Vital Signs 9/10

The first time i heard this song, i was like "eh, okay." Then i took a closer listen and it grew on me alot. Reminds me somewhat of Unearth at some points. Guitar work is frantic along with drum work.



7. The Eleventh Hour - 10/10

Amazing song. The song starts of fast which leads to a SICK breakdown halfway through the song. This whole song is brutal, Jakes vocals, the drum work, if your downloading random songs, this is the one to preview first.



8. The Balance 9/10

A more Melodic Song. A lot of Guitar work, but still a fast brutal tight song. A good solid melodic song from these guys. 0



9. Black Sheep 10/10

An amazing passionite song. Starts of with guitar work then jumps right into a breakdown. One of the most brutal songs on the album, an ending breakdown with lyrics that give me chills. Amazing stuff. My Favorite of the album.



10. An American Dream 10/10

Sounds like "thrill seeker." Brutal song, nice and tight sounding, with breakdowns thrown in at every corner you turn. Very cool sounding guitar work about 1:45, right when Jake yells, "ohh!". Nice tight song.



11. Redemption 10/10

Not as brutal as "thrill seeker"'s finale, but still a great song. They went with the more Melodic route and its a nice touch as the song sounds extremely passionite. A great ending to a great album.





In the end, is this better then Thrill Seeker? I don't know yet, i know its much more than a satisfying release from these guys. I also know its not leaving my CD player for like 3 months. It's slighly more melodic then Thrill Seeker, but as for the claim it sounds like Killswitch Engage?

No, not in the least. I don't know what that reviewer was talking about.



This is honestly one of the most brutal albums i've heard in a while. Do yourself a favor. Go to your nearest store and pick it up. It's that good.



Do it, like, now."

Amazing followup!

D. Carney | Worcester,MA | 06/19/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I preordered an autographed copy of this album directly from the band and I am hoping that it will be in the mail today when I get home from work. I have however listened to the entire album through an online stream that the band had advertised through their myspace.



I was really curious as to how the band would follow up their epic debut album Thrill Seeker, which happens to be one of my favorite albums in my music collection. I honestly didn't think that August Burns Red, or any band for that matter, could put together another album that would live up to a freshman debut such as Thrill Seeker.



The Good news is that this album definitely lives up to their first album. I am not ready to say that it is better because I have only listened to the album once and since it was an online stream, I could not have fully appreciated the album production. I think that the band has matured a little and has even stepped up the skill and technicality of their music, which I was excited to hear because I was afraid that the band had hit a glass ceiling in that department on their first album, which would have been very unfortunate.



The addition of new vocalist Jake is a great addition to the band. He is a much better screamer with a much better range. Jake makes up for what I think was the only shortcoming of the first album. Another good thing is that the lyrical composition style, which I really enjoyed on the first album, is nearly the same yet much more dynamic.



The new album is technical, melodic, and BRUTAL. It sounds like ABR but it doesn't sound like Thrill Seeker. It is the perfect follow up to an amazing freshman effort. Bands like this make metalcore still worth listening to. This album will probably be the years best metalcore release so if you enjoy the genre, pick it up.

"

Great follow up

Poe Man | PA, USA | 06/22/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"ABR's latest is no disappointment and reminds us metalcore is still here and making progress. In my opinion this album is more brutal than the last, and the new vocalist does prove to be more versatile. Every track sounds great, you can read some of the other reviews here for better descriptions; this is one you can listen to straight though. Not to mention, these guys are from my hometown, so it's amazing to see them getting this kind of recognition."